Certain sweets are known around the world. Whether these are cola bottles or similar gummy options that are around, with fruity flavours and tasty packaging, some flavours are well-known.
Today, though, we're going to talk about a treat or two out there that's a little unusual. Far be it from us to decry that these sweet options don't fill a niche, but they are a little rare and odd. Here at the Sweet Hamper Company, we're trying to incorporate as many of these rare finds into our sweet and chocolate hampers.
First of all, we're going to talk about some of the odd candies from the UK, as well as strange candies people eat around the world.
What makes delicious treats unique?
That’s a tricky question, because what’s “normal” in one country might be considered downright strange in another!
Most sweets share a few key characteristics: they’re sugary, colourful, and often fruity or creamy. But dig a little deeper, and you’ll discover that flavour preferences vary wildly across cultures.
In many Western countries, we’re used to smooth chocolate, whipped cream, sponge cakes, and tangy fruit flavours. Meanwhile, in Eastern cultures, children may grow up loving sour plum candies, chewy rice treats, or even wasabi-infused snacks.
The answer? A sweet becomes “unusual” when it introduces unexpected ingredients, rare flavour combinations, or creative presentations, like chocolate shaped like rocks or gummies that light up.
To get to it
What we're trying to say, therefore, is that the only things that could make a sweet unique are things that are unique about them. For example, there's a wasabi-infused candy bar in our list below - that's rare because wasabi is quite rare, let alone the combination of wasabi and a candy bar.
Some of our favorite rare sweets from the UK
The UK has its fair share of unique and rare types of candy that are hard to nail down in a real way. We've got two examples of rare candy here that we'll talk about quickly - have you tried them both?
Chocolate Pebbles
These are a little rarer nowadays than they were in the past, but a good sweet shop will likely keep a stock of them on site. Essentially, these are small lumps of chocolate shaped to be about correct for the shape of a pebble.
The outermost layer of chocolate is then painted to look like a pebble, typically a grey or sand colour, with some spots and swirls to make the illusion a little more convincing.
Reportedly, these sweets were involved with assorted tricks in the past, being in a mix or collection of pebbles and chocolate. To play a prank, someone would eat a delicious chocolate pebble, pretending that it was an actual rock.
Flying Saucers
Flying saucers are made up of two main ingredients - rice paper and sherbet. These treats are wonderful when eaten in the right place at the right time, with the ingredients not being too rare but the combination being unusual.
They are shaped like flying saucers, as in UFOs, disc-like, with a rim at the center. These sweets are typically sucked so that the rice paper melts, and the sherbet fizzes as it comes into contact with the tongue.
These are another sweet that's a little rarer nowadays, with them more commonly being seen at the checkout of a supermarket than in the aisles of a sweet shop.
Lightning Bugs Gummy Candy - China
What is a lightning bug?
This was our first question upon hearing about this candy since we didn't grow up in a place that had these little creatures. Well, a lightning bug is another name for a firefly. These are small beetles about the size of a fingernail, and they are so named because they're slightly bioluminescent - a regent on their thorax lights up occasionally during twilight.
What is this candy?
These candies are something quite simple yet quite unusual all on their own. Essentially, they take the shape of small worms around the same size as a lightning bug. When picked up, they light up a little, much the same way a lightning bug would.
They come in various flavours and are typically packaged with a small set of tongs that are used to pick up and eat the sweets. It could be said that the tongs are similar to the kind of thing that a scientist might use to examine a specimen in a lab, which enhances the allure of the sweets.
What makes this unusual?
The thing that makes these sweets unusual is fairly obvious, we'd have thought: they light up when you pick them up! This is unusual for obvious reasons, though there's no cause for concern - the secret is in the tongs.
The tongs contain a small circuit that lights up when they get fairly closed, meaning that you could light them up when there's no worm in them. It's reassuring that there are no harmful chemicals or circuitry in the sweets!
Gummy X-Ray Fish - USA
What is this candy?
Gummy fish are something that you've likely heard of, if not seen, in sweet shops around the world. The delicious brand of candies has long been well established, with sweet, chewy, and delicious options scattered throughout the world.
Anatomy
Well, these are a sub-option that's a little different from the regular kind. To create the mental image, picture of a regular fish that's run through an X-ray machine - you can see bones, organs, etc. That's precisely what the delicious gummy options look like - a regular gummy fish that has been run through an X-ray machine!
What makes this unusual?
The thing that makes these sweets a little unusual is the odd but tasty mix of flavour and anatomy. It's rare that food tries to be at all educational, even in a tongue-in-cheek way like this. In a sweet shop, we might expect to see a slightly odd, parodied type of anatomy, such as a gummy heart, not quite something almost anatomically correct.
Branding
This brand is the same as the one that produces all the normal gummy fish and several similar candies. This makes you wonder whether all of the regular gummy candies in any shop have their anatomy - you just can't see it!
Wasabi Kit Kats - Japan
What is this candy?
This candy is something that you'd expect to see from what it says on the packaging. Not sweet at all, this option is something a little more interesting.
A Kit Kat, if you don't know, is a sweet treat that's essentially a core of wafer with chocolate surrounding it in a small prism shape. There are typically two of these to a pack, with the two wafers being connected by molded chocolate.
Rare
This candy differs in that the outside layer of chocolate appears wrong at first. Created in Japan, these spicy wasabi options have a layer of spiced wasabi on the outside, mixed with other ingredients to create a taste sensation with the same texture as a chocolate sweet bar.
What makes this unusual?
From a brand like Kit Kat, we always expect more or less the same thing - something sweet. It may be a little more bitter or sweet depending on whether dark or white chocolate is used, but this mix of heat and chocolate is unheard of in the world of sweets.
Packaging
The packaging for this product is very forward with the odd mix of two flavours here - hot and sweet. Despite that, it's still a surprise that this was created, agreed upon, and shipped worldwide!
What is wasabi, really?
Wasabi is a treat about as far from the sweets on this list as you could get - it is a paste, in this sense, made from the root of the wasabi plant. It's got a very spicy and pungent flavour, which is what makes the mix with Kit Kat so surprising!~
Sticky Rice with Mango – Thailand
This dessert might look simple, but its flavour, texture, and cultural significance make it a true gem among international sweets. Known locally as Khao Niew Mamuang, this treat is one of Thailand’s most beloved traditional desserts, and one of the most unusual to those unfamiliar with sticky rice as a sweet ingredient.
What is it?
Sticky Rice with Mango is a sweet and creamy dessert made with glutinous rice (often called sticky rice), which is soaked, steamed, and then gently mixed with sweetened coconut milk. It’s served warm or at room temperature, topped with slices of fresh ripe mango and often drizzled with a thicker coconut cream for extra richness.
Sometimes it’s finished with a sprinkle of toasted mung beans or sesame seeds to add a slight crunch.
What makes this unusual?
The key ingredient, sticky rice, might be surprising for those used to rice only in savoury dishes. But in many Southeast Asian cultures, rice is also used in sweet, dessert-style meals, often paired with fruits or syrups.
Pastel de Nata – Portugal
What is this pastry?
At its core, a Pastel de Nata is a mini eggy tart made with a buttery, flaky pastry shell filled with an eggy, creamy custard that’s lightly browned on top. The contrast between the crisp outer layers and the velvety, rich center is what makes this dessert stand out.
Traditional recipes are served warm from the oven, they’re often dusted with cinnamon or powdered sugar, depending on the bakery or region, and are one of the best desserts!
What makes this unusual?
While custard tarts are familiar in many parts of the world, what makes the Portuguese version so distinctive is the intensity of the caramelised top and the way the pastry is rolled, giving it that signature spiral crunch when bitten into.
They're not overly sweet either. Instead, there's a subtle eggy richness, with notes of vanilla and cream, and that wonderful burnt sugar top (much like crème brûlée) that balances everything beautifully.
Cocada – Latin America
If you’re a fan of coconut-based desserts, then Cocada is one sweet you need to try. Found in various forms throughout Central and South America, Cocada is a chewy, sticky, and deeply satisfying coconut treat made from just a handful of humble ingredients, yet packed with flavour.
What is this candy?
At its heart, Cocada is a simple coconut confection made by mixing grated coconut with brown sugar (or white sugar in some versions), and sometimes a splash of condensed milk. The mixture is then cooked slowly until it thickens and caramelizes into a rich, chewy mass that can be scooped into rounds, sliced into bars, or spread into bite-sized mounds.
In some regions, Cocada is baked until golden on the edges, while in others it remains soft, almost like a macaroon. It’s often tinted with food coloring or combined with fruit flavours like pineapple or guava for added flair.
Our favourite rare fruity flavours
Mix up the flavour of your sweets with a list of our top 5 below:
Avocado
Chocolate Limes
Sour Pink Grapefruit
Flaming Hot Cinnamon
Blackcurrant & Liquorice
You may find some of these flavours in our range of 'build your own sweet hampers' online.